Welcome to the second part of my little series on how you can easily help out those in need, for FREE! For this part, we are going to focus on food donations.
During the month of November and December it was made clear to me how many people are in need, and how close to home they are. Kids in my brother's school, people I see regularly at the post office or corner store, or even just passing them while walking the dog. It's incredibly heartbreaking to think about.
This year I have vowed to buy at least one extra bag of non-perishable food and donate it while doing my own groceries. It's not huge - and it may be only every second week, but it does make a difference. Or maybe set a budget, for example $10 worth of product to donate. That $10 doesn't seem like much but it can go a long way if spent right. (Okay, we are getting off track, I did say *free* ways to help out!)
Within the last couple of years, 'couponing' has become huge. We have all seen the huge hauls and savings people show off in our facebook feeds! I have just recently started couponing myself so I am not the best one to teach or guide you, but you can find great couponing guides with a quick search and if you click here you can see a great guide on how to get started! You can often find coupons with huge savings - and free product coupons too. I know that many couponers build themselves a stash of food/items and then donate their extras.
Another thing to watch out for is BOGO sales. Every few weeks one of the grocery stores nearby will have a buy one, get one free sale. If they are having a BOGO sale on canned fruits or vegetables that means I will be able to donate even more that month OR if it is something you normally buy and you are getting a FREE product, why not donate it?